Initial
by timahina
Summary: After destroying each other and splitting the world, maybe it was time Zarc and Ray officially met.


"Take a seat." Ray extended her arm out to the seat in front of her as Zarc neared the table. He simply stared at her cheerful disposition, absolutely frivolous. What did she have to be so happy about? Oh, no wait, he nearly forgot. What _didn't_ she have to be happy about? She got her family back, her spotless reputation ascended to godlike status, the absolute adoration of all those who saw her.

He, _however…_

"Yea, thanks." Why this restaurant? It looked classy, too much out of his price range. But she was a rich girl, she could afford it. Hell, in the heyday of his dueling days – he could too. This just wasn't preferred. Even worse now, he could feel the stares digging into his back. It was worse here than at the Sakaki house. There, it was only three people. Three different sets of anger and judgment. It was easy to handle, to ignore. Here was multiple, so much more.

And all he had to distract himself was a menu of overpriced food and an unsavory lunch date.

Ray tried not to fidget in her seat but it was natural to be nervous. Across from her was Zarc, the grand champion of the original world and the demon duelist of the four worlds. It was all due to him that they lived as four separate beings in four separate worlds. And now, they were sitting together having lunch. She had to make the best of the situation. "So uh… how's everything?"

He nearly rolled his eyes. "Sucks." Small-talk was useless to him. She was the last person he wanted to talk to, and considering the list – that was a major accomplishment. He put his focus on the menu, trying to find the most expensive drink and meal he could find. Maybe he'd order dessert, too, something that set itself on fire.

"Ah, that sounds…" There was nothing to go off from there. He was probably doing this on purpose. Wait, was he? Ray didn't know enough about him to make a proper guess. All she had to go on were the memories of her alter egos and what they knew of the boys. Nothing in them was really awkward… maybe shy? Then again, she remembered Zarc as loud and bombast. The difference between a public reputation and private actions. "Uh, how do you get along with Sakaki Yuya? Yuzu has told me before he's really big on entertainment dueling, along with Sakaki Yushou. Gives you all something to talk about, right?"

Zarc snorted as he closed the menu. "Yuya's desire to avenge his dead-beat dad was the whole reason I first awoke. Of all people, they're the last ones to want to talk to me. Now, Ray," Zarc leaned forward, glaring at her and a sly smirk graced his face. "You wanna tell me why you brought me here? I know it ain't to hear me bitch."

He was crude and blunt, hardly well enough for polite conversation and society. But it needed to be done. Just a small effort, taking the first step. "Well, I… I wanted to get to know you."

"Why?"

Why indeed. Her leg started bouncing in her nervousness, becoming anxious. The reasoning itself was somewhat selfish, more exploratory than anything else. "I want to, you know… get along."

"… Why?" At least Zarc was talking to her now. Confused and slightly irritated, but open to conversation.

"Well, because…" Wasn't it natural to try and put the past behind them? Their alter egos had lived beside each other, their relationships and bonds were strong proving it was possible for them to get along. Perhaps not as well as their other selves, but the potential was there. What made any part of her drawn to any part of him? Those girls loved him and she didn't understand. And the best way to understand was to dive right into the mud and get to know herself. What made him so great?

Right now, he was just an ass. A very closed-off ass.

Before she could provide a proper answer, the waiter came by. Zarc was the first to order, not even caring that their server was shooting daggers at him. Ray paid close attention to what he ordered and if she recalled correctly, all those things were so expensive… _definitely_ a petty ass.

"Uh, steak please. Medium rare, if you can."

 _God, she's too polite._

A side effect of being split off, Zarc could almost recall which mannerism belong to which of the girls. The overly polite tone, it was that XYZ girl… Ruri. He scowled, another side effect of splitting – he remembered all their names. From the amount of times those boys screamed for those girls, they were burned into his skull.

 _Ruri, Rin, Serena… Yuzu._ Yuzu was the worst offender. He couldn't even look at the color pink anymore without feeling sick.

The waiter smiled and took their menus, leaving off to their other tables. Again, they were left alone. "What's your favorite color?"

She perked up at the question, not expecting him to ask her anything. What a weird question too… She shrugged. "Uh, I don't know. Baby blue, I guess. It's a really calming color. What's yours?"

 _At least it's not pink…_ "Green. It's a cool color." Their server came back with drinks. Ray had some… fruity-colored drink and he had a bottle of wine. The waiter had barely finished pouring out a glass before Zarc immediately took it and start drinking it with large gulps rather than slowly appreciating the flavor.

Ray blinked, simply watching him chug it like a thirsty man wandering the desert. Was he an alcoholic? She hoped not… "Don't forget to breathe, ya know."

He slammed it back down on the table, the cup mostly empty. "So why _are_ we here? I mean, I know why _I'm_ here. You offered to pay for lunch and I don't turn down free meals. You, though, probably got better things."

"Well… it's not like I got much going for me right now." Everything from her former life was gone, nothing but distant memory. All her friends were so much older than her, if she could even find them. A new style of dueling was needed for her to try and enter the circuit.

Zarc laughed. His laugh sounded odd to her. She had heard him do so before, but it was either this fake laughter practiced for a crowd or one of sick enjoyment of chaos. No, this one was genuine – it didn't sound like he did it often. "Oh, _please_! You got your dad back, a big ass family, everyone kissing your ass-"

"No, I–"

"You get freedom to do _whatever_ you like without everyone tiptoeing around you." He didn't allow her to get a word in, not now. Zarc was too frustrated. "You get the adoration of your little mini-me's. Don't got much going for you? _Really_?" He hated liars. Not even liars, those who sought pity when nothing was wrong. What did she have to complain about? To waste her time by trying to talk to him?

Was this a way of taming the wild beast?

If it hadn't been for the promise of food, he'd have left and not bothered.

Ray's leg had yet to stop shaking, the anxiety bubbling up worse than before. It was just… he was right. With a new life came new advantages. A bigger family – she had always wanted siblings and now she had two younger brothers. Even Himika wasn't too terrible. But there was a sense of awkwardness and unfamiliarity. Her father was distant from Reiji and Reira and in return they avoided him. Between him and Himika, there was no love. It was nothing but dysfunction.

Being an Akaba in Maiami City granted her much more freedom than before, luxury she hadn't been granted before. But it was lonely. This wasn't her life. She was out of place.

So was he.

By that logic, weren't they supposed to get along?

No, of course not. She split him up… twice. And he destroyed everything twice. Nothing about them was meant to get along. "… They don't really _adore_ me. I think I scare them, to be honest. The girls, I mean. It's hard to look at someone and see yourself, literally."

A sentiment he understood. Living with Yuya was a weird sensation, she didn't have to experience this. She didn't live with any of her clones, he did. And it was _weird_ to see how many of Yuya's mannerisms were similar. The little morning habits, the attitude – he remembered being that age. Though he scared Yuya for different reasons. "Poor little rich girl…" Zarc muttered as he took another swig of his wine.

Ray took a sip of hers – somehow, she wished she ordered a less fruity drink. Something harder if she was going to be criticized. She wanted to argue back but the details weren't his to know. They weren't close, hardly acquaintances even. "What do they even see in you?"

Zarc barely looked up, flashing a smile. He didn't even know what she was talking about. "My dashing good looks, obviously. That or they're scared I'm gonna sprout wings and breathe fire." He pointed to the guests behind him and Ray noticed for the first time how many eyes were on them. Not even them, but specifically him. And he did nothing but joke about it, brushing it aside. Did the attention not bother him?

"Ah, no. I meant…" _The girls_.

But how would she say that?

Even right now, she was trying to put two and two together. Yuya was cheerful, wanting to spread happiness. Yugo, a goofball. Yuto, calm and collected. And Yuri was… much like Zarc, however more curious. They all made him. An embittered shut-in.

"I know what you meant. And I'm as lost as you are." Wasn't she supposed to be a science-type person? She should have the answers. If anything, he should be asking why his clones cared about hers. But he chalked it up to stupid boys and hormones. Though puberty didn't make him want to chase after girls across dimensions and be willing to kill for them… No, no. They were stupid boys. Not that hard of a solution. Zarc didn't want to think too hard. He scrunched his face in displeasure, turning his eyes away. A sign that he didn't want to continue that conversation any further.

Another few minutes of silence before their food arrived. She made a face at his plate – some kind of seafood platter. It wasn't possible for him to finish that all in one sitting, it was practically a family meal.

"Can you eat all that?" Ray didn't think about what she asked, simply blurting it out.

"We ain't close enough for you to nag me." As if being spiteful, Zarc took large bites of his food – hardly chewing as he continued his obnoxious manner. "Just because they did in two different realities," Zarc began waving his fork at her and talking with his mouth full, "don't mean _you're_ allowed to in this one."

 _Two different…?_

He must've referred to the girls. Simple guessing, probably Yuzu and Rin. That brief time when she and the girls were stuck in the machine, she could see their memories. Yes, Zarc definitely meant those two. They often scolded Yuya and Yugo for their nonsense. Yuya simply teased her in return, a game of cat and mouse, while Yugo always barked back, defiant. But the way he phrased that was interesting.

 _She_ wasn't allowed to do actions _they_ did. He saw them as different entities, different beings. Even she had yet to fully comprehend that, sometimes making the mistake of referring to them as extensions of herself. Or rather… seeing the boys, whenever she did see them – they were nothing but Zarc to her. Just more extensions of him. They contained parts of him. The better parts.

But that was wrong. She knew it was wrong. That was the same logic her father followed and the mess that ensued nearly destroyed the dimensions. No, they were different. She was Ray and the girls were themselves.

And he was Zarc. A foul mouthed, petty, bitter brat… who wanted nothing but the adoration of the crowd and ultimately turned on them. And was right now, annihilating seafood and drowning in alcohol. "Do you get along with them? The boys, I mean."

"Not really," he was barely audible with all the food stuffed in his mouth. She supposed he wasn't used to table manners or even had any. That or he was purposefully trying to annoy her. "They got their own shit to deal with. I like staying out of it."

"So what do you do most days?"

Zarc stared at his plate for a moment, trying to think of a plausible answer. Admitting the truth was… slightly lame. More than slightly, actually. It was the life of a shut-in loser. No matter what world, it was the same. However, the limelight of before was gone and replaced with infamy. The audience didn't want his return nor cried for it. As before, he had nothing but his cards. Not even that since his dragons were with his clones.

His silence worried her. Maybe it was best to get straight to the point. "If you don't do anything, we could do stuff. Like uh… apparently, I have gained a family of introverts so going out is impossible. And since you're the only person I know that's _my_ age and that I actually know-"

He shouldn't react, he knew it wasn't best. Zarc wanted to keep up appearances, like he disliked her. He didn't want to fall into the same trap as the stupid boys. Caring for someone only to lead to their downfall… _him_. "You're not asking me out, are ya?" He played it off as a joke, laughing softly. "If so, then oh _man_ you got some weird taste. I know going for bad boys is the ultimate style but I don't think you're ready for my level."

It was too much. Ray did her best to cover her mouth, control herself and act like the adult she was. But in the end, instinct overtook her and she laughed _hard_. His manner of delivery and how smooth it came out, no hesitation whatsoever. She wished for that sort of confidence, the way he could change a topic he didn't like to something else – the easy way he played it off. Ray couldn't even pretend to be flustered by that question.

"… it's not _that_ ridiculous for you to ask me out. I was pretty popular once." Zarc grumbled, the tips of his ears turning warm as he pushed his food.

"No, no. It's not that…" She needed to straighten up, clear her throat and adjust her posture. For now, the smile still stuck. "I didn't know you had a sense of humor, a _good_ one at that."

Zarc didn't know how to take that. Of all the things to note, it was his sense of humor. She referred to _his_ sense of humor, recognizing it as his own. Not a holdover or remnants of other pieces or portions of the boys. He remembered in the days before the violence had started, he made jokes to other duelists. To the crowd even. Her laugh was nice. A bit obnoxious but it wasn't drowned out in a crowd. "Thanks, I'm here all week."

"Does that mean I can get you out for mornings? We could go jogging."

"No."

"I'll get you pancakes afterwards."

"… a _short_ jog."


End file.
